Dispenser for material in collapsible



J. J. EGLER Sept. 13, 1955 DISPENSER FOR MATERIAL IN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 26, 1951 United States Patent y O DISPENSER FOR MATERIAL IN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CONTAINERS Joseph J. Egler, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 26, 1951, Serial No. 263,243

Claims. (Cl. 222-102) This invention relates to dispensing devices, and more particularly to apparatus for dispensing paste types of material from collapsible tube containers. Dispensers of this general type are adapted for use in dispensing of various materials, such as tooth paste, shaving cream and the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved dispenser of the character indicated, constructed and arranged for receiving, supporting and operating upon a collapsible tube of paste type of material, for dispensngv the same in increments of relatively uniform quantities.

A further object is to provide an improved dispenser of the character indicated, which is constructed and arranged so as to permit quick and easy insertion of a tube of material therein or removal of a spent tube therefrom.

A- further object is to provide an improved dispenser of the character indicated, which effects lremoval of substantially all material from the tube and thereby minimizes waste of material.

Still another object is to provide an improved dispenser of the character indicated, which is relatively simple in construction, durable in use and economical to manufacture. y

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of the dispenser embodying the present invention shown mounted on a wall in operative position; i

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the dispenser, taken substantially as indicated at line 2-2 of Figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken substantially as indicated at line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 are vertical sectional views taken substantially as indicated at lines 4 4 and 5-5, respectively, of Figure 3.

The dispenser embodying the present invention includes a main support or housing including a pair of upright spaced apart side walls 11 and a connecting end wall 12. The rear open end of the support or housing is connected by screws 14 to a pair of upright flanges 15 of a back plate 16, the latter being adapted for securement by screws 17 to a wall indicated at A. The top of the housing or support is normally closed by a cover element 20. the sides of which rest upon the upper edges of the side walls 11 and the top edge of which is intertted beneath a pair of tangs 21 struck out of the back plate 16, and the opposite edge of the cover is formed for a snug fit around the upper marginal edge of theend wall 12, as clearly seen in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The dispenser mechanism is totally supported within the housing 11 and includes a horizontally disposed driving roller 25, in the ends of which are press-fitted stub shafts 26 having finger engaging members 27 at their outer ends. The stub shafts 26 extend through apertures formed in the upright side walls 11 of the housing or ice support, and constitute bearing supports for the driving roller. The outer surface ofthe driving roller is longitudinally corrugated or iluted, for purposes hereinafter described.

`Journ'aled on the shaft extensions 26 of `the driving roller are the leg members-30 of a yoke 31 mounted within the housing, with vsaid leg members disposed against the inner surfaces of the side walls 11. A pressure roller 33 is mounted on a shaft 34, the ends of which shaft project at opposite ends through elongated slots 36 formed in the respective legs 30 of the yoke member and also extend into elongated slots 38 formed in the side walls 11 of the housing. As may be readily seen in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, the elongated slots 36 in the yoke member, and slots 38 in the side walls of the housing, are disposed at an angle to each other so that the pressure roller may move into and out of cooperative relationship with respect to the driving roller 25. It is important that the slots 38 in the side walls of the housing be so located that when the pressure roller is disposed in proper operating position, the axis thereof is disposed above the axis of the driving roller 25 so as to tend to insure maintenance of the-two rollers in cooperative relation when the pressure roller has been moved-to such position.

'For convenience in manipulating the yoke member for moving the pressure roller into and out of cooperative relation with respect to the driving roller, the yoke member is provided with a laterally extending nger engaging' member 40 projecting exteriorly of the housing through a slot 41 formed in the end wall 12 of said housing.

Preferably, the driving roller 25 is formed of metal and the pressure roller may be formed of any suitable material, such as metal, plastic, etc.

' `In using ythe dispenser, the finger piece 40 attached to the yoke member 31 is moved down, as seen in Figure 5, at which position the pressure roller 33 is disposed a substantial distance away from the driving roller 25 so as `to permit insertionbetween the rollers of the flattened closed lend portion of a collapsible tube of paste material, as indicated at B. The yoke member is then swung upwardly tothe position seen in Figures 1 to- 4 of the drawings, and the pressure roller, being more or less a floating roller, is forcibly moved to ,a position with its axis` above the axis' of the driving roller 25, and firmly urgingthe collapsible tube material into the corrugations of the driving roller. In such an arrangement the corrugations ofl the'driving roller in eect create a geared relationship to the flattened portion of the collapsible tube for positively feeding the tube in an upward direction between the rollers incident to rotation of the driving roller. I -The drivingroller may-be rotated by turning either of the finger pieces 27 so as to rotate the roller in the direction ofthe arrows, as seen in Figure 4. As the driving roller is rotated, it imparts rotation toV the pressurev roller'33 and both rollers at that time are in i engagement with the enlarged portion of the collapsible tube for exerting a pressure on the body of paste material therein for forcibly dispensing said material from the tube when the closure cap is removed therefrom. The corrugations or flutes in the outer surface of the driving roller are so designed that when the tube is engaged between said roller and the pressure roller, accurate control of rotation of the driving roller is attainable. As each raised portion of the corrugated surface passes beyond the plane intersecting the axes of the two rollers, there is a normal tendency for the rollers to become arrested in that position of adjustment. By virtue of this arrangement, it is possible to conveniently rotate the driving roller in small increments of rotation which may be so correlated with respect to the character of the tube of the material to be dispensed, such as tooth paste, for example, so that upon each small incrementof movement of the driving roller, a quantity of tooth paste is dispensed onto a brush equivalent for a single use.

As the collapsible tube is lused in conjunction with my dispenser, the flattened portion fed between the two rollers passes up into the housing 10. When thetube of ma-4 terial `is completely dispensed, it may be vquickly and easily removed by moving the yoke member 31 `downwardly to the position seen in Figure 5 of the drawing, so that the attened portion of the tube may be conveniently withdrawn from between the rollers. If the attened portion of the tube assumes a curled formation so that it does not permit free withdrawal, the cover member may be removed from the housing so as to permit adjustment vof the flattened portion of the tube to enable it to be quickly and easily removed from between the rollers.

Although I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it manifestly is capable of modification and rearrangement of parts, Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise embodiment herein disclosed, except as I may be so limited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a support having a pair of spaced walls, a driving roller having shaft extensiQns at opposite ends journaled in said walls, a hand piece fixed to one of said shaft extensions for rotating said driving roller, a yoke memberpivotally supported at opposite sides of said spaced walls, a pressure roller journaled in said yoke member and supported thereby at all times in substantially parallel relation to said driving roller, and a finger piece on said yoke member for moving the latter and simultaneously moving said pressure roller in a direction normal to and into and out of cooperating relation to said driving roller.

2. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a support having a pair of spaced walls, a driving roller having shaft extensions at opposite ends journaled in said walls, a hand piece fixed to one of said shaft extensions for rotating said driving roller, a yoke member pivotally supported on said shaft extensions of the driving roller, a pressure roller journaled in said yoke member and supported thereby at all times in substantial parallel relation to said driving roller, and a nger piece on said yoke member for moving the latter and simultaneously moving said pressure roller in a direetion normal to and into and out of cooperating relation to said driving roller,-

3. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a support having a pair of spaced walls, a driving roller having shaft extensions at opposite ends journaled in said Walls, a hand piece fixed to one of said shaft extensions for rotating said driving roller, a yoke member pivotally mounted on said shaft extensions of the driving roller, a pressure roller carried by said yoke member and having shaft extensions at opposite ends journaled in elongated slots in said yoke member, extending toward said pivot axis thereof, said walls of the support each having an elongated slot for accommodating the terminal portions of said shaft extensions of the pressure roller, said slots in said walls extending in a direction at an angle to said slots in the yoke member for controlling the path of movement of the pressure roller toward and away from the driving roller, incident to pivotal movement of the yoke member, and means connected to the yoke member for moving it about its pivot support. l i

4. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a support having a pair of spaced walls, a driving roller having shaft extensions at opposite ends journaled in said walls, a hand piece `fixed to one of said shaft extensions for rotating said driving roller, a yoke member pivotally mounted on said shaft extensions of the driving roller, a pressure roller carried by said yoke member and having shaft extensions at opposite ends journaled in elongated slots in said yoke member, extending toward said pivot axis thereof, said walls of the support each having an elongated slot for accommodating the terminal portions of said shaft extensions of the pres` sure roller, said slots in said walls extending in a direction at an angle to said slots in the yoke member for controlling the path of movement of the pressure roller toward and away from the driving roller, incident to pivotal movement of the yoke member, and means connected to the yoke member for moving it about its pivot support, said elongated slots in the walls of the support being correlated to the axis of the driving roller whereby said yoke member in one position of adjustment serves to position the pressure roller in cooperative relation to the driving roller, with the axis of the pressure roller being disposed above the axis of the driving roller.

5. In a dispenser of the character described, the combination of a support having a pair of spaced upright walls, a horizontally extending driving roller having shaft extensions at opposite ends journaled in said walls, a hand piece fixed to one of said shaft extensions for rotating said driving roller, a yoke member pivotally supported at opposite sides on said spaced walls, a horizontally extending pressure roller journaled in said yoke member and supported thereby at all times in a substantially parallel relation to said driving roller, and a finger piece on said yoke member for moving the latter and simultaneously moving said pressure roller in a direction normal to and into and out of cooperating relation to said driving roller, the yoke member and pressure roller being so correlated to the driving roller that in operative position the axis of said pressure roller is disposed above the axis of the driving roller. v

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

